Higher Derivative Fermionic Field Theories

TL;DR

This paper extends the covariant Ostrogradski method to fermionic field theories, enabling higher-derivative Lagrangians to be reduced to second order while maintaining explicit independent fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel extension of the Ostrogradski method specifically for fermionic fields, simplifying higher-derivative theories.

Findings

Higher-derivative fermionic Lagrangians reduced to second order

Explicit independent fields identified for each degree of freedom

Method provides a systematic way to handle fermionic higher derivatives

Abstract

We carry out the extension of the covariant Ostrogradski method to fermionic field theories. Higher-derivative Lagrangians reduce to second order differential ones with one explicit independent field for each degree of freedom.